Police: No racial motive in shooting

Saturday

Jul 21, 2012 at 12:01 AM

Investigators do not believe that the mass shooting in the Tuscaloosa area earlier this week was racially motivated.

By Stephanie TaylorStaff Writer

Investigators do not believe that the mass shooting in the Tuscaloosa area earlier this week was racially motivated. The shooter, who wounded 18 people when he opened fire at a house in Northport and later at the Copper Top bar in Tuscaloosa, was looking for a specific person, who is black, authorities have said.Residents of the Northport house found “KKK” etched into their vehicles and power box.“I don’t believe race was the driving issue with the Northport shooting, in that the person he was looking for appears to be a specific target,” said Sgt. Kip Hart, assistant commander of the Tuscaloosa County Metro Homicide Unit. “The shooting at the Copper Top had victims of different races and genders.”Nathan Van Wilkins, 44, has been charged with 18 counts of attempted murder and two counts of shooting into an occupied building. Investigators are processing evidence and expect to charge him with arson in relation to a truck that was burned at a mobile home in Northport at 9:30 p.m. Monday and several trucks and a building that were burned in Brookwood around 3 a.m. Tuesday.The building and the trucks belonged to Capstone Oilfield Services, where Wilkins worked for several years before being fired earlier this year.“As to motive, the arsons appear to be retaliation for being dismissed from the employer,” Hart said. “The Northport shooting appears to be a case of mistaken identity based on interviews conducted in addition to the occupants of the residence. The Copper Top had victims of different races and genders.”Investigators are continuing to interview people as they investigate possible motives for the shootings, Hart said.The FBI and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have been involved in the investigation since the beginning, Hart said, and are exploring further possible charges. He did not specify what charges those might be.The AK-47-type gun that Wilkins allegedly used has not been recovered. Wilkins told Jasper police when he turned himself in Tuesday morning that he had disposed of it, but didn’t say where.As of 1 p.m. Friday, three victims remained hospitalized. Copper Top victim Mario Fritz Winkler remained in serious condition at DCH Regional Medical Center. Renardo Jackson, who was also wounded at the bar, improved from fair condition Thursday to good condition on Friday. The hospital has not released information about Bruce Bankhead, who was shot at the Northport house.